Chris Brown handed suspended sentence over London nightclub attack

| Deputy Entertainment Editor Published October 26, 2026 12:13pm Updated October 26, 2026 12:23pm To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Chris Brown has been handed a sentence of eight months in prison, suspended for 12 months, over a February 2023 bottle attack at a London nightclub. The singer, 37, had been accused of attacking another man, Abraham Diaw, with a bottle at the Tape nightclub in Mayfair, near Oxford Circus. Brown pleaded guilty to the charge of affray at Southwark Crown Court in July this year. He had been due to face a trial on more serious charges, which he denied – including assault and attempting to cause grievous bodily harm – but they were dropped. According to the Crown Prosecution Service, Brown approached the victim from the dancefloor. After moving through the crowd, he ‘struck him twice over the head’ with a glass tequila bottle. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Brown was seen arriving at Southwark Crown Court wearing a face mask on Monday (Picture: Jordan Pettitt/Press Association) A mugshot of Chris Brown released by London’s Met (Picture: Metropolitan Police) The victim needed hospital treatment for head and knee injuries, with police saying CCTV showed Brown hitting Diaw on the head with a glass bottle several times. In another clip, Brown could be seen being ‘pulled away’ from the victim. ‘They continued their assault whilst the victim attempted to flee through the club,’ the CPS said. ‘The victim was kicked while he was seated defenceless on the floor.’ Brown’s lawyer said he has offered a ‘profound apology’ to all those present at the private members’ club in central London, a court has heard. Sallie Bennett-Jenkins KC told the court the incident was something which ‘undoubtedly would have caused distress’ to those at the nightclub. Fans flanked the entrance to the court (Picture: Jordan Pettitt/Press Association) Brown is one of the most successful stars in US R&B (Picture: Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock) She said: ‘This is an ugly and unattractive incident. ‘It is, however, an incident which was very short-lived, lasting something more than 17 seconds but no more than 20. ‘It is something which undoubtedly would have caused distress to those who are present and for which Mr Brown offers a profound apology to all those present.’ His vocal coach, Omololu Akinlolu, 40, had also pleaded guilty to affray, and had assault and attempted grievous bodily harm charges dropped. Deals of the Day See London's Christmas lights from an open-top double-decker bus this winter My skin always suffers when the heating goes on but this serum changed that The skincare formula that finally took the guesswork out of my routine Families can save up to 20% on summer 2027 holidays in Club Med's four-day sale Cold mornings are coming and this is the dressing gown I want to live in Brown was accompanied by security guards as he arrived at court on Monday morning, wearing a cap, black leather jacket and face mask. Arrow MORE: Man ‘stabbed in face and back’ in middle of the day at London Tube station Arrow MORE: Donald Trump lusts after Nicki Minaj’s ‘beautiful’ bum in bizarre speech Arrow MORE: Ipswich’s darkest winter: Inside the Suffolk Murders Investigation, 20 years on Breaking News Never miss the biggest stories with breaking news alerts in your inbox.